This invention concerns cricket bats.
As is well known, a cricket bat traditionally comprises an elongate blade, made almost exclusively of selected willow, to one end of which a handle is spliced, the blade being shaped to provide a front striking surface and an opposed rear surface.
The invention is more particularly concerned with cricket bats of the kind wherein the rear surface of the blade is so modified or designed, in comparison with traditional bats that more of the mass of the blade is concentrated adjacent to the periphery of the blade, and/or adjacent to the toe or shoulder of the blade, while the front surface of the blade (normally used for striking the ball) is not significantly changed in comparison with the traditional designs.
The shape of the conventional cricket bat has remained standard for many years. One constant feature has been the shape of the rear surface of the blade of the bat. This has been so formed so that the maximum thickness, and hence the mass, is situated at a point approximately six inches from the lower end or toe of the blade.
The mass of the blade, and hence the thickness of the blade, gradually decreases away from the point of maximum thickness both towards the longitudinal edges and towards the shoulder (i.e. the end to which the handle connects) and the toe of the blade in such a way that the rear surface of the blade has a central ridge extending down the length of the blade and merging with the contour of the blade between the said point of maximum thickness and the toe of the blade.
This central ridge is thus situated on the plane of symmetry of the blade. A cross-section through the blade at any position along the ridge is such that the maximum thickness, and hence concentration of mass of the section, lies on the plane of symmetry of that section, while the least mass (or narrowest section) of the blade is situated adjacent to the periphery or edges of the blade.
The "sweet spot" of a cricket bat blade is familiar to persons skilled in the art of cricket as the optimum location for bat/ball contact to ensure the most effective hit in terms of distance and direction of ball travel for the work done in striking the ball. Usually, the sweet spot is a region whose center lies about 6 inches (15 cm) from the toe of the bat.
The effect of contact to either side of the sweet spot is to turn the bat on its longitudinal axis so that a misdirected and weak hit results. A strike nearer to the handle area or shoulder results in a "lifted" hit with a higher trajectory than desired, giving an increased risk of being "caught out", while a strike nearer the toe of the bat results in a lower trajectory than desired and a shorter than optimum hit.